Alpha Trion Returns to Earth
Log Title: Alpha Trion Returns to Earth Characters: Alpha Trion, Dust Devil, Optimus Prime, Metroplex Location: Autobot City Date: January 15, 2007 TP: Autobots: Can't Fight The Future TP, Luminous TP Category:Logs As Logged by Alpha Trion - Monday, January 15, 2007, 10:15 PM---- Landing Pad - Autobot City The sounds of aircraft landing and taking off overrun all other sounds here. Shuttles, aircraft, rockets, and other air and space worthy craft reside here in large quantities. Nearby is a large air control tower, where traffic is directed and aided along the way to prevent accidents and unnecessary damage. There are three main launching pads, six runways, and two helipads, as well as at least ten hangars to hold all of the various aircraft and supplies for the incoming and outgoing ships. Contents: * Autobot Shuttle * Optimus Prime * Omega Supreme Optimus Prime is out on the landing pad, enjoying the sunshine as he does a little adminestrative work on his datapad, sitting on a large, empty crate. He's near the main hangar, within which a secured docking bay was converted some time ago to accomodate the Metroplex Space Bridge. A handy conveyance from Earth to Cybertron, if you've got the security clearance for it. <> Alpha Trion says, "This... Alpha Trion. I'm returning to Earth, and request an approach vector." <> Optimus Prime says, "Transmission received clearly. Welcome back, it's been a while. All lanes to Metroplex' landing pad are currently clear, approach as you wish." <> Alpha Trion says, "Very pleased to hear it, Optimus Prime. Approaching for landing." An ornate spacecraft of ancient design appears in the sky, flying smoothly towards Metroplex's landing bay. Optimus Prime is standing on the pad, near the bulky, round hull that's still sitting there. They really need to launch that thing, it's occupying two shuttle landing spots. He offers a salute to the incoming vehicle of purple and white. Alpha Trion ---- Alpha Trion is a very odd vehicle. It is red, purple and white in color. It is hovering off the ground, and the engines are silent. The front of the vehicle is purple, and this purple runs up 1/4 of the vehicles length. At the tips of the purple part, you see white tips. Next, you see white, and this continues up another 3/4. To either side of the vehicle, and these run the length of it are red extendable manuveering vanes, and these connect to just below the engines. They are about 2 feet from the body, and could be what is making him hover. These vanes also enable V3 to turn and helps in braking. You see that on either side of the rear part of the vehicle, is a white nozzal, and this white nozzel is extened from a purple frame. Set in the middle, you see a cockpit, that is big enough to fit 6 humans, or 2 minibots (Wheelie size), and in front of the cockpit, is a red Autobot emblem. Setting on the left side, above the left engine, appears to be a cannon. It is purple in color, and runs 1/4 of the length of the vehicle. You also see setting on either side of the cockpit, what appears to be a pair of weapons, but you can't tell for sure. ---- With that cool Transformation sound, the Cybertroian Hovervehicle slows, leans forward, pointing it's nose towards the ground. The nose forms a pair of legs, the Vanes move to his back. A pair of arms extend out from it's sides, a head folds up and out of the body near the engines. The cannon lock into place on his left shoulder. Before you is the form of Alpha Trion. <> Dust Devil says, "Did you get any of my messages sir?" Alpha Trion transforms and turns to face Optimus. <> Alpha Trion says, "Your messages are why I have returned to Earth." Optimus Prime would smile, but no lips. "Welcome back! Good timing, too, the war's relatively calm right now." Alpha Trion sighs. "I wish it were the case on Cybertron. I've been advising our forces there as best I can, but I'd rather be in my lab... Our Dust Devil seemed pretty keen to get a hold of me, however. What's been happening here?" <> Dust Devil says, "Wonderful. we need ta talk...pronto." Alpha Trion glances at the space bridge distrustingly. <> Alpha Trion says, "I am on Autobot City's landing pad if you should wish to join us." Optimus Prime nods to Alpha, "I've been shipping up energon and raw materials via the spacebridge, in as great of quantities as we can manage. And I've been drafting plans for a major offensive up there." Alpha Trion stands on the landing pad. "Perhaps my journey here can be of dual purpose, then." Optimus Prime nods to his re-creator. Recycler? "Let us hope so. I strongly suspect that the Decepticons' energon supplies are not as strong as our own." Dust Devil comes running up the landing pad ramp and smiles for a moment before trying to school his face. "Sorry for interruptin yer respite...but Metro threatened to step on me or somethin if I didn't get a hold of you." Alpha Trion looks over and raises his ancient eyebrows, the scariest on Cybertron or Earth. "Hello, young one. Have you been causing Orion trouble?" The Eyebrows Of DOOOM! Optimus Prime chuckles softly. "When he stops, I know he's injured." Alpha Trion smiles at Prime's comment. Dust Devil snorts, "Just cause I'm still banned from Cybers doesn't mean I'm causing trouble here." After a pause he continues, "Doesn't mean I'm NOT causing trouble here.... but doesn't mean I am." Trion says, "For what reason did you call me here, what was urgent enough to apparently cause Metroplex to threaten you with physical harm?" Optimus Prime says, "Metroplex probably just proposed a game of squash in particularly strong language." Metroplex remains silent. Alpha Trion looks at Dust Devil with mild reproach. Dust Devil says, "There is a being searching for the key to Vector Sigma....she is strong enough to play toss the bots. I was worried about your safety. Very worried." He eyes Prime with a silent promise of some prank later. "That and worried about what would happen if we don't stop her. Even if she couldn't find you, I don't think Metro would like what might happen." "Luminous. Her operating procedures seem to have changed, but the threat she presents is very real. I'd be leery of sending anyone short of a gestalt against her," says Prime, though he'd think well of either his own or Grimlock's chances. Trion says, "Luminous, you say? I wonder..." He trails off, lost in thought, absent-mindedly touching the center of his chest while thinking. Dust Devil says, "Yeah...Rather shiny femme....It unnerved me that she knew of the key. Of course in my case I remember something about rewiring me to polish floors if I ever touched that thing on the wall." Alpha Trion returns his attention to the here-and-now. "Yes... the Key." Optimus Prime nods. "We can't let her get her hands on that." He eyes Dust Devil, "Actually, a floor-buffer might be passable camouflage in some places...." Trion says, "It's no longer something I'd leave lying around in my lab, no matter how well hidden." Dust Devil eyes Optimus again. "I make messes... not clean them up. If I ever got upgraded ta antigrav, then I might need a new name." Optimus Prime nods to Alpha. "The key cannot be allowed to fall into the wrong hands. It's as safe as it's likely to be in yours." To Dusty, he chuckles. "You'd have to keep the fans for the sake of apeparances if nothing else, the antigrav would be for silent operations. As for Luminous... We need to keep an eye on her." Alpha Trion nods. "Speaking of keys, I have another I'd like to store here, in Autobot City. I no longer think it's safe on Cybertron." "We could put it in Grimlock's room." says Prime. Not many places less safe for an infiltrator. Alpha Trion smiles slightly, his flexsteel white mustache rising with the gesture. Dust Devil frowns a bit. "I don't know how safe that all would be...." He sighs. "I think we need to find out WHY she wants the key. Cause she might find some other way to get what she wants. And that could cause trouble. And also by storing it here, we have ourselves open to a hostage situation." Trion says, "Well, I possess two circuit keys of dangerous power...." He glances out over the open plain surrounding Autobot City. "Perhaps we should continue this conversation indoors, away from spying audio and visual sensors?" Optimus Prime nods to both of them. "A good point, Dusty. As for the keys... We ill have to make sure they're guarded in two ways. Through information and through physical power." He looks out over the desert. "The environmental shield should prevent easy eavesdropping," after all, it keeps the sand off, "But yes. Let us move inside." Alpha Trion nods, and motions for the youngsters to take the lead. Dust Devil smiles a little as he realizes that in a way, he's privy to information that lends him some importance. Stuff that isn't just common knowledge. Part of that making him feel a bit better about how things have been. Alpha Trion heads through the Blast Doors, and takes the Walkways to Optimus Prime's Quarters. Optimus Prime's Quarters - Residential Complex Composed of the same silver metal as the rest of Metroplex, this particular room seems to be fairly conservative and ordinary. Upon further inspection, though, one may discover exactly what makes this room uniquely Optimus Prime's. The wall opposite the door wields an extremely large version of the Autobot insignia. To the right of this area stands a metallic slab that reaches nearly forty feet in height. When powered down, Prime tends to spend a great deal of time within this vertical unit. A picture of the Rocky Mountains hangs just above the structure. A metallic desk rests at the back of the area, various computers and machines residing on its surface while a chair of the same composition exists behind it. A trio of holographs consisting of Alpha Trion, Elita One, and Spike and Sparkplug Witwicky in their work outfits flank the largest of the aforementioned terminals. Lastly, an immense painting of Mount St. Hilary conceals a considerable portion of the left side of the room with its overwhelming beauty and awe-inspiring presence. Contents: * Dust Devil * Optimus Prime Alpha Trion follows the wippersnapperbots into Prime's office, stopping briefly to study the hologram of himself in amusement. Optimus Prime likes to keep certain things around his office. He's been thinking of getting some pet hermit crabs. Give the place a little more life. Or maybe some goats for the mountains. "This office is as secured as we can make it." Trion says, "It may have been dangerous for me to come here, if this Luminous is the same entity as I remember from before the Great War." Dust Devil smiles a little. It could be more secure...but the one security breech is partially Dust's doing. "I was trying to reach you to talk to you before you came out of hiding. But I was worried about lengthening the messages in case someone tried to break the code. Not that many people speak ancient cybertronian or anything like that." Alpha Trion looks at Dust Devil, and nods. "That is one reason I came here myself to discuss things, rather than risk sending messages back and forth." Dust Devil does think now and then. Well, he thinks a lot more since being his future self. Optimus Prime is concerned. For some reason. "Tell me about the one from during the great war. And if anyone speaks ancient Cybertronian, she does, given her age and apparent creator.." Trion says, "Luminescence was a first generation product of Vector Sigma, like myself... One of the original thirteen, as a matter of fact." Optimus Prime is curious now. "Tell me more, tell me more." he pauses. "Sorry, I've been corresponding a lot with the Junkions of late." Dust Devil flinches a little at that thought. "This ain't good...." Well...either thought. At least he didn't say 'Tell us about it, Janet.' Trion says, "Luminescence was a zealot, however. Convinced our original creator, Primus, whom she seemed to deify as soon sort of immortal savior, was going to return to free us from the Quintessons." Optimus Prime raises an optic ridge. "To be perfectly frank, she sounds like Vector Sigma wasn't at his best when she was made." Dust Devil mutters softly, "Look who's talking..." But he quickly pretends to be busy looking at something else aproximately 10 inches out of Optimus' swatting range. Trion says, "Well... Sigma wasn't supposed to give us originals personalities. He wasn't programmed for it. All thirteen of us were experimental prototypes." He glances at Dusty, crooking one of his massive eyeridges. He mutters to Dust Devil, "The same has been said about me when I created you, young one." Optimus Prime pulls a tennisball from a small compartment, and flicks it at Dusty's head while he's looking away. Noble and mighty leader of the Autobots! Still an older brother. "Personalities that grow on their own seem reasonably stable, but everything needs a testing phase." Alpha Trion returns his attention to Prime, and nods. "If anything I believe that some of Sigma's later personality shells were even more unreliable than the originals." Optimus Prime considers briefly. "You know, it may be for the best that experiments in alternative means of personality creation are underway." Alpha Trion makes a slight face. "Your results are... interesting, as well." Optimus Prime shrugs, "Warlord and Enigma seem... Normal." When normal includes Blurr and Perceptor, anyway. Alpha Trion hms. "I've not met these latest iterations. It would greatly please me to..." He trails off, and shakes his head slightly. "No, first the task at hand. Scientific curiosity later. I possess two keys. Each accessing almost limitless power, yet almost diametrically opposed to the other." Optimus Prime nods to Alpha. The old fellow's gotten better at focussing in recent eons, it seems. "Where do you feel the keys would be safest? And shall I have several false ones made?" Alpha Trion looks around. "I'm not sure... you may know better than I the safest place on Earth. False keys are a good idea, however. When Megatron came for the Key to Vector Sigma, I was unable to stop him." Optimus Prime nods to Alpha. "I'll have false keys made, several of them. The real ones can be hidden very thoroughly. I can think of a few places both secure and secret, to hide either a true or a false key." Alpha Trion smiles, and places a hand on Optimus Prime's shoulder. "I knew I had chosen wisely when I selected you to be the first of the new generation of Autobot warriors." Optimus Prime bows a little, "A challenge was given to me, and I like to think I have risen to it, for the most part." Dust Devil thinks for a moment. "I think it might be wise ta only let you and alpha know the location of the REAL keys....everyone who has a key can believe they have a real one. It's hard either way since if you know you have a fake one, not protecting it enough would just let her believe that it is a fake and possibly anger her. But then you run the risk of those getting injured to protect a fake key. I believe it more important to find why she is trying to get this key. Because eventually the situation will arise that will make it impossible to avoid her getting one of the keys or Alpha Trion himself." Dust's optics flash and he sighs. Optimus Prime considers. "We can hide one in the anchor of one of our underwater thermal power collectors. Even if the Decepticons take the generator, they won't take the anchors. There's a set of solar arrays on Mars, under one of them we can stash a false one. We can encase another in the drive shafts of one of the main engines of the Pacific base, and keep it there when we deploy the facility, and another can be entrusted to the Dinobots. Even Luminous would be in real danger trying to take something from Grimlock." Alpha Trion smiles slightly, looking at his two creations with obvious pride. Optimus Prime considers briefly. "I'll have to make sure that the false ones are contained in such a way as to make breaking them in opening the cases likely." Alpha Trion nods. "As one of the few beings alive who know what how the real keys look and read, I will take it upon myself to build the false keys. Are your labs still located in the same place as before?" Optimus Prime nods to his re-creator. "They are. Just try not to make duplicates so good that they actually work." Alpha Trion smiles faintly. "Even I lack that power, and that is for the best." He then sighs. "I'm tempted to just destroy both keys once and for all. Yet, they may have use for Cybertron one day, and I would dislike having to give my life again in order to access Vector Sigma." "What can be made once can be made twice, and ten thousand times again after that," says Optimus. "But for now, we cannot duplicate them. Let us not destroy them unless her getting ahold of them becomes inevitable, and we know that her plans are dire." Alpha Trion nods solumnly. "Then I shall get to work immediately. Thank you, Optimus Prime." He turns. "And thank you, Dust Devil, for letting me know of the situation so quickly." Dust Devil smiles a little. "I'm just glad to have you about again. I was rather angry with Optimus and the Aerialbots for a long time." He thinks for a moment. "If ya want....ummmm I can try talkin ta her and finding out. I'm pretty quick and resilient as has been found out despite continued attempts to improve the planet by removing me from its face. I'm pretty sure she'll not attribute Alpha's great mind ta my meager frame." Alpha Trion considers this, and shakes his head. "Of course, it's Optimus's final decision, but I think your abilities might be better put to diverting her from the true keys once they're safely hidden. Your skills would better lend themselves in helping to keep her from achieving her set task, whatever it may be." Optimus Prime bows to them both. "Thank you, Alpha Trion. And you as well, Dust Devil. Between the three of us, finding the keys will be hard for her, and getting at the real one will be nearly impossible." Dust Devil says, "I still think that her finding the keys won't be a problem....the problem will be trying to get her NOT to look for them. We said the keys were no longer around. And now we know there are technically three. All she has ta do is take a hostage. You KNOW you what you would do Optimus. It's one of yer weaknesses." Trion says, "Diverting her from looking would be the best plan, indeed." Optimus Prime eyes Dusty. "If you see her, try to learn from her. But yes, I do have a tendency to make dangerous gambles when lives are threatened. Let's see if we can keep her distracted." Trion says, "Perhaps we can spread the word that the original keys are destroyed or lost, and that ALL the keys are fake. Then, no one will be killed protecting a fake key.. if pressed, they can reveal that *none* of the keys are real, and it's all a diversion." Optimus Prime seems to smile. "If Dust Devil let something like that slip, it might spread quickly as a rumour. such things are best not delivered as announcements." Dust Devil gives Optimus a slight grin. "I only say it because it is true....and yeah, I know some of the best people ta talk ta. Lugnut is an awful gab at times. If ya say the right things. But yeah, I'll do some recon later. If nothin else, I'm really good at playing dead." Alpha Trion nods. "Disinformation and diversion seem to be the best way to avoid further loss of life." "And getting more information ourselves. She doesn't seem to have much guile, and ought to be fairly easy to get information out of," says Prime. "Though I've no doubt she learns fast." Alpha Trion says wisely, "That does sound like the Luminescence I knew." He adjusts his cape. "Well, then, if the plan is set, I will get to work on the false keys." Optimus Prime considers. "Actually... False or not, if anyone asks, they've both been tried recently, and neither work." Trion says, "Well, it shouldn't be difficult to continue the believe that both keys were lost long ago." Optimus Prime nods. "True enough. Of course, spreading conflicting rumours might work best." Alpha Trion nods. "Perhaps we could trick Luminescence into believing she'd have to join with Vector Sigma to regain the key. I had to, so without the keys it would be the truth. I don't think, however, that Vector Sigma would be as quick to release her as he ultimately did me." Optimus Prime smiles. "That might work. She might do it, though. And I don't know what that would do to Vector Sigma." Trion says, "As someone who has undergone the process myself, I believe Vector Sigma could handle it." Alpha Trion smiles slightly. Optimus Prime nods. "I'll take your word for it. Hm. Without the keys, you were forced to merge with Vector Sigma in order to activate him. So, if they don't work anymore, she'll have to do the same." Alpha Trion nods. "Exactly. No need to mention that when I was reformed, Sigma formed a new Key as well." Optimus Prime smirks. "That's not common knowledge anyway." Alpha Trion smiles. "Indeed. You two, and one or two members of my team on Cybertron, are the only ones. And Vector Sigma, of course. But he is unlikely to give up secrets unless and until he wishes." Optimus Prime says, "And there remains the possibility of stopping her plans entirely, or diverting them." Trion says, "Well, the two of you are masters of stopping or diverting evil, respectively. I'm just a humble healer." He spreads his hands in (mock?) humility. Optimus Prime chuckles softly. "Humble healer who saved our civilization." Alpha Trion fehs. "Poppycock. I merely helped get things going in the right direction." Optimus Prime chuckles. "Without a spark, they may be no flame." Alpha Trion says wisely, "Ironically, meddling Quintessons helped set the stage for their own destruction." He smiles at the peculiarities of fate. Optimus Prime chuckles. "Meddling quintessons is a redendancy." Alpha Trion chuckles in amusement, then coughs raggedly. Optimus Prime looks a little concerned. "Perhaps you should drop in to the repair bay before you begin making any copies. This world's atmosphere is not what your filters were designed for." Alpha Trion says wisely, "The thicker atmosphere has always been a bit of a problem when I visit." He continues to cough for a few astroseconds, then finally seems to recover a bit. Optimus Prime looks around. "Dust, mold spores, thicker atmosphere, humidity. Sand. This world is not a healthy place for a machine." Alpha Trion nods. "I can imagine why some of your troops like it so much. The change, I suppose." Alpha Trion sighs a sigh that says, 'Kids today'... "Many of them were built here. Hostile environment or not, it's home. Of course, the way organic life grows here can be beautiful." says Prime. "While Metroplex was at sea, he aquired barnacles. He kept some of them in a tank, once we got bnack onto dry land." Alpha Trion raises his freakish old-mech eyebrows. "Someday I would love to have the peace and time to study life here before my time ends." Optimus Prime chuckles softly. "Alpha Trion, you're millions of years old. You're not going to shrivel up and expire simply through being old." Alpha Trion says wisely, "Well, my chances are much improved since you found this planet, Optimus. I can see wny the Decepticons want it so badly... although it's also clear a lot of it is you." He smiles faintly. Optimus Prime nods to Alpha, "The Decepticons want it because it's inhabited. The humans could be enslaved and made to harvest resources for them, stripping the planet of anything the Decepticons could use. They'd be much more dangerous if their philosophy did not demand laziness." Alpha Trion chuckles. "That laziness is all that's kept the Decepticons from slaughtering Earth's indigenous life on a massive scale, so for that, I am grateful. However, we both know that there are other worlds out there that the Decepticons could conquer... other potential sources of slaves." Optimus Prime shrugs. "This planet's not good for machine life. We can get more energy and easier access to minerals without setting foot on a planet's surface. If they didn't want slaves, then there'd be no reason to even land here." Alpha Trion nods. "What makes Earth special, however, is you, Optimus. You made a stand here. You've chosen Earth to protect, and it would be a loss of face if Megatron gave it up and let you have it." Optimus Prime smiles. As best Mr. No-Lips can. "Earth is special for many other reasons, among which I am a footnote. A footnote that's proud to be fighting that megalomaniac to a standstill, and to be gaining ground back after so many centuries." Alpha Trion nods, placing his hand on Prime's shoulder once more. "Again, I am proud of you, Orion, and what you've accomplished." Optimus Prime smiles at Alpha Trion. "I could not have come this far without you. Without your guidance and your example. That you saved my life and put me in a body that can outperform Megatron's certainly didn't hurt, either." Alpha Trion smiles at that. "It is a design I'm proud of, I'll admit. I tried it again with Magnus, but without the ... secret addition, it just didn't perform as well. Hence the power armor." Optimus Prime smiles. "Magnus' form may be considered a resounding success. Very durable, capable of high poweroutput. The power armour just adds that extra kick." Alpha Trion smiles again with obvious pride in his work. Optimus Prime ponders the work of other engineers. "The Weatherbots incorporate design elements you pioneered, and they're exceptionally tough as a result." Alpha Trion says wisely, "I've met a few of them, but haven't had much chance to examine them closely." Optimus Prime smiles. "And I think that Warlord and Bastion employ other parts of your designs. Enigma's odd, though, her parts are intended to be replaced in large sections, rather than repaired. Allows for higher power in a compat size, though it's not as efficient from a manufacturing stand point." Alpha Trion nods. "I guess it's a design approach you can take when you have access to almost limitless resources." Optimus Prime grins, "When the energon's low, she has to wait for her limbs to be recycled. Having less legs slwos her down a little. Mercifully." Alpha Trion says wisely, "Fewer legs? How many does she have normally?" Optimus Prime smiles. "Eight, in her alternate mode. Weaver-9 took inspiration from some of the more successful local lifeforms. Interesting. Another design to examine should I find the time." Optimus Prime nods, "Weaver's been busy. I understand he took up the task of organizing Wheeljack's laboratory." Alpha Trion's ancient optics widen. "A monumental task, indeed." Optimus Prime nods, "Wheeljack's creativity and brilliance is inversely proportional to his aptitude for keeping organized notes. Weaver believes that through mining the relevant data, organizing it and categorizing it, it can be put to more efficient use. I believe that's where he found the forumulae for the polymer used in Warlord's webbing, and the propulsion systems in the most recent batches of explosive rockets." Alpha Trion hms, and nods. "I admit, my skill for documentation has always been lacking. A failing as an engineer." Optimus Prime taps his armoured chest. "Your work's survived this long, we can forgive you." Trion says, "One of my few designs I was able to reproduce a second time... well, sort of." Optimus Prime smiles, "I think that you are more an inventor than you are an engineer." Alpha Trion rubs his helmet. "This is true." He frowns. "Alas, I'd better get to work on those keys. I will keep you up to date on my progress, Optimus Prime." Optimus Prime smiles. "Thank you, Alpha Trion. Time to save the world again." Trion says humbly, "It's what I do." He gives Dust Devil and Optimus Prime a friendly old-man wave, and heads out to the lab.